A Crippling Blow
by sockmonkeyaccounts
Summary: It's been eight years since Jordan left Three Rivers. When he returns to attend an old friends wedding, he finds that little has changed. During a visit, Jordan makes a promise that he can't bring himself to break. Jordan/Angela.
1. The Kill

_**Disclaimer: I do not own MSCL.**_

_**Summary: It's been eight years since Jordan left Three Rivers. When he returns to attend an old friends wedding, he finds that little has changed. During a visit, Jordan makes a promise that he can't bring himself to break. Jordan/Angela. **_

_**Author's Note: First chapter of my very first MSCL story. I rediscovered the show last week, and started writing this after watching the entire series back-to-back. I'm writing this as I go, so there may be delays between chapters, but I'll try to update regularly. **_

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><p><em><strong>A Crippling Blow<strong>_

_**Chapter 1**_

_**The Kill**_

Three Rivers was as tired and boring as it had ever been. Trees molting their leaves for autumn, falling to the perfectly maintained streets, sidewalks and lawns. The same people, it seemed, doing the same things- a never ending cycle.

Jordan Catalano couldn't believe that he was back, even if it was just for a short visit and an old friend's wedding. He'd left practically as soon as his high school diploma was placed in his hands eight years ago- he couldn't get away fast enough. There was nothing for him here anymore; most of his friends had moved away when he had, with a few exceptions. The only real regret that he had was not keeping in touch with Patty Chase. His ex-girlfriend's mother had helped him a lot after his Dad had gotten himself killed in a car accident halfway through Jordan's senior year. He'd make sure to stop and see her during the week he planned to stay, after attending Shane's wedding tomorrow, maybe.

Jordan pointed his rental car toward the only hotel in Three Rivers, shaking his head at the dismal building as he pulled into the gravel parking lot. One low stuccoed level, completely out of place. He walked into the office, and of course the desk manager remembered him after he jotted his name down on the register.

"Jordan _Catalano_?" the older, portly woman asked.

"Yeah?"

"Well, you certainly have grown up, haven't you?"

Jordan tried his hardest to remember who this woman was, but was coming up with nothing. He settled for a non-committal grunt and collected his key, driving his car around to the back of the building. Jordan flicked on the lights, taking in the predominately puke-green interior, tossing his suitcase onto the double bed. Glancing at this watch, he realized he only had fifteen minutes before he was supposed to be at Shane and his fiance's (whatever her name was) house for lunch.

The bathroom of the place followed the wretched-green color scheme with fake marble and linoleum of the same color. Jordan splashed cold water on his face, and looked up into the mirror above the sink. Not much had changed in eight years; his hair was cut short, closely cropped to his head, his skin a slightly darker tan. Drying his face with one of the the white towels hanging next to the mirror, Jordan ran his hands over his hair, then left the bathroom. He shoved his room key into his pocket and left room number 12 and got back into his rental car, pointing it toward the south side of town.

Shane had taken over his mother's house when she fell sick, and he lived there now with his soon-to-be-wife even after his mother had died the summer before. Jordan pulled his tan, late model four door into the now black topped drive way and got out of the car, walking up the familiar path. This house had become like home to him through his school years, spending many night on the couch when his old man would come home three sheets to the wind. It felt strange to ring the doorbell, but Jordan didn't think that it would still be okay to just walk in.

The Shane that opened the door looked nearly exactly the same as he had the last time Jordan had seen him, almost two years ago. The only exception being that he seemed to have put on about fifty pounds, a side-effect of settling down, Jordan thought. After the exchange of manly, chest-bumping hugs, Shane invited him inside and took him into the living room to introduce him to his fiance. The surprise was evident on Jordan's face when Sharon Cherski stood from where she was sitting on the couch and enfolded him in a hug. He shot shane a look over her still very poofy brown hair, and Shane just shrugged before shooting him a grin.

They ate in the small cramped dining room, and Jordan was once again amused how so very little had changed as he sat down at the same wooden table he'd eaten at many times with Shane and his mother. The food was passed around and they dug in, exchanging pleasantries.

"Have you been by the Chase house yet?" Shane asked around a mouthful of sandwich.

Jordan sat down his own sandwich, again feeling a pang of regret. "No, not yet. I was going to go by and see Patty after the wedding tomorrow."

Shane and Sharon exchanged looks.

"Why? What's going on?" Jordan asked.

"Well, Graham ran off a few years ago. Left them all behind. Patty and Danielle were really broken up about it," Sharon told him.

"What about Angela?" he asked. He and Angela hadn't remained in contact after their second break-up, nor had they remained friends, for reasons he didn't really understand.

"No one really knows what's going on with Angela." Another look passed between the couple.

"What do you mean? She move away?" He took another bite, washing it down with what was left of a cooling cup of coffee.

"No, she still lives in town. She just doesn't really... come around. I think she visits Patty and Danielle every so often, but neither of us have talked to her in at least a couple years now."

"It's that stupid husband of hers-"

Shane cut his fiance off with a wave of his hand. "Stop it, Sharon. Nick has never been anything but nice to anyone."

Sharon sat back in her chair, arms crossed over her chest, glaring at a spot on the table. Jordan was lost. He had no clue who Nick was, and the exchange between Sharon and Shane confused him. They obviously disagreed over the subject of Angela and her husband, and Jordan came to the conclusion that maybe he should stop and see Patty tonight, instead of tomorrow.

Sharon glared at Shane throughout the rest of lunch, and as Jordan finished his food, she cleared the table angrily. As she left the dining room for the kitchen, he shot Shane a look.

"She gonna be okay?"

"Oh yeah, she'll get over it. She always gets pissy whenever anyone talks about Angela. Misses her, I guess."

Jordan left a little while later, ensuring them both that he'd be at the rehearsal dinner tonight. Instead of driving back to the hotel, he instead headed for the Chase house, over on Maple Street.

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><p><strong><em>Next chapter, Jordan visits Patty. Hope you enjoyed, leave a review! <em>**

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	2. Where Is My Mind?

_**Disclaimer: I own nothing related to MSCL.**_

_**Summary: _**It's been eight years since Jordan left Three Rivers. When he returns to attend an old friends wedding, he finds that little has changed. During a visit, Jordan makes a promise that he can't bring himself to break. Jordan/Angela.**_**_

_**_**Author's Note: Thanks so much for the reviews! All of this is self-edited, so please forgive any mistakes. Chapter two is short and shrimpy, but needed. Hope you enjoy! **_**_

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><p><em><strong>A Crippling Blow<strong>_

_**Chapter 2**_

_**Where Is My Mind?**_

Jordan pulled to a stop at the curb in front of the Chase house. He was flashing back to high school- his senior year, and the last time he sat here with Angela. Jordan still didn't really know why she'd ended things between them, and he really hadn't thought about it in a long time. The house was in a general state of disrepair; gutters full, some hanging at awkward angles, weeds over-taking flower beds. He got out of his car and walked up the front path, across the porch and to the door. Jordan rang the door bell and stood back, waiting.

An older Patty answered the door, a surprised expression painted across her face. Gray was over-taking her golden hair. She looked tired, and Jordan wished more than anything that Graham Chase was standing in front of him at that second so he could ring the weasel's neck.

"Jordan?"

"Hey, Patty," Jordan said, ducking his head a little. There was that sting of guilt again...

"Oh my god, I can't believe you're back..." And then she was hugging him tightly. Jordan patted her back awkwardly, still not really comfortable with large displays of affection. Patty Chase pulled away and patted his cheek, then stood back, gesturing for him to come inside.

The house was immaculate as ever, family pictures still displayed everywhere, Graham's face blatantly missing. A stereo blared loudly somewhere on the second floor, and Jordan guessed that Danielle was up there, eighteen years old but not quite ready to move out. He followed Patty into the living room, declined a glass of milk and sat, watching the older woman sit in a chair across from him.

"So, I'm guessing you're here for Shane and Sharon's wedding?" she asked, always proper.

"Yeah," he answered, "I'm going to hang around for about a week after." Jordan really wasn't sure _why _he was hanging around. A small vacation, he guessed, a short blast to the past.

"Good, that's good." She picked a piece of invisible lint off her slacks, dropped it to the floor.

"How've you been?" he asked after a few awkward moments of quiet.

"Oh, fine. We're fine."

Jordan could tell by her voice that they were not, in fact, fine. "Hey, I'm sorry I didn't keep in touch, I just-"

"It's alright, Jordan, really," Patty cut him off. She gave him a small smile. "I know you're a busy man."

"Shane told me about Graham."

Patty was quiet for a moment. "Three years ago. But we're dealing with it. Danielle took it really hard, she was just starting to open up to Graham, and then..." She shook her head. "It doesn't matter, all in the past now."

"How did Angela take it? I know that she and Graham were close."

"Angela? She took it fine, I suppose. Busy with other things, running her own household. You know she married?"

"Yeah, Shane and Sharon mentioned something about that. I got that Sharon's not too crazy about the husband."

"Yes, well, Sharon's always been very opinionated. I try to keep my opinions to myself."

Jordan had to suppress a smile. _Since when? _

"I don't want to bring up any unpleasantness. Are you sure I can't get you something?"

"No, I just had lunch." What did she mean by unpleasantness? "Actually, I have to be getting back to my hotel. Jet lag's starting to catch up with me."

Jordan stood from the couch, and Patty followed him toward the door. "Okay, well, come and see me sometime after the wedding and have dinner with Danielle and I."

"I'll do that," Jordan assured her. "Bye, Patty."

As he walked to his rental, Jordan looked back at the house. _I'm going to have to do something about those gutters,_ he caught himself thinking. _Those loose shutters and shingles, too. _He pulled away from the curb, shaking his head at himself. _Working on vacation. _

Back at his rundown hotel room, Jordan briefly entertained the thought of a shower, but was entirely too tired to even start the water. He just stripped out of his clothes and crawled under the surprisingly fresh smelling covers of his double bed. He turned onto his side and pulled the blanket up under his chin, thinking about Angela Chase for the first time in years. Sure, she was a passing thought here and there, but Jordan hadn't really spent too much time wondering about her in probably five years.

She'd been his only girlfriend in high school. There'd been other girls, but she was the only one he'd really invested any time in. Being back in Three Rivers had her popping up all over the place, though. In conversation, in his mind. He decided that he would stop in and say hello before he left, just to slake his curiosity.

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><p><strong><em>Next chapter: the wedding. Will Angela and Nick be there? And just what IS going on with our Ang? Stick around and find out! <em>**

**_Leave me a review. I roll around with reviewers in a big pile of lubricated puppies- COME JOIN THE FUN! I kid, I kid. Until next time! _**


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